


At the Firelord's Expense

by KorraLeigh



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ambassador Sokka (Avatar), Established Relationship, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Post-Avatar: The Last Airbender, only a little angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:15:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25754182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KorraLeigh/pseuds/KorraLeigh
Summary: Sokka discovers Zuko's ticklishness, and has found several uses for this new knowledge.
Relationships: Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 323





	At the Firelord's Expense

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a random idea I had talked about on my Tumblr, @offlamesandblueeyes, and encouraged by @killjoyjay on Tumblr as well!

Zuko is extremely ticklish. So much so, he screams if you so much as grab at his sides. And there's not a single spot on him that isn't sensitive to that kind of touch.

Sokka takes full advantage of this.

It's hot in the Fire Nation, year-round, and the only times Zuko is actually required to wear his long, multi-layered robes is when there are ceremonies, or during speeches. Which happened a lot at first, but it's been a few months so those things aren't as common anymore.

So these days, even during meetings, Zuko takes to wearing light layers and clothes that reveal his arms and legs a bit more. His collars are open wider and he can usually be found in tightish shorts under a semi-long tunic, to keep him both cool and mostly modest.

All this extra showing-of-the-skin is way too tempting for the resident Southern Water Tribe Ambassador though... And he loves tormenting the poor Firelord any chance he gets.

Of course, he knows when to lay off and keep professional, but the advisors and other ambassadors have seen the two play fighting in the throne room before on several occasions, so really, what's the worst that could happen? (At this point, even the guards don't get alarmed anymore when they see Sokka suddenly tackle Zuko from behind, or snatch him in a headlock, and so on).

So Sokka takes every opportunity he gets to make Zuko laugh.

Sokka realizes Zuko's... "sensitivity" after a really stressful day. Zuko is lying on the bed in their now-shared chambers, and Sokka is above him, kneading out the kinks in his back. Zuko thinks he could fall asleep after this, he's so relaxed- until Sokka's hands hits the exact _wrong_ spot and a shriek is ripped from Zuko's throat.

Immediately, Zuko faceplants into the blankets to hide his blush, but Sokka is a very, very intelligent man, and figures it out without looking at Zuko's face or even clarifying. 

"Zuko," he starts, "are you ticklish?" and it's technically a question, yes, but Zuko knows it's rhetorical; especially when not a moment later Sokka's hands descend upon him yet again, only this time in a more torturous manner. 

As soon as Sokka's fingers make contact with his ribs, Zuko all but flails. He's already laughing hard, his head having popped back up so he could breathe, and he's thrashing about wildly. But Sokka is still straddling his hips, and while Sokka is not a big man, he _is_ a bit bigger than Zuko, and he definitely has more muscle. So even though Zuko writhes like his life depends on it (which, at this rate, he feels like it might), he can't dislodge the Water Tribesman from his perch on Zuko's back. 

Sokka doesn't stop until he finds and memorizes each and every one of Zuko's ticklish spots- and the list is a long one, much to Sokka's delight and Zuko's horror. 

At some point Zuko manages to roll over, which gives him a chance to grab Sokka's offending hands, but also leaves his stomach and more of his ribs open to the tickling- which is exactly what happens. 

Just when Zuko thinks he's either going to pass out or piss himself- or both, Agni forbid- Sokka stops.

Panting and gasping for air, residual giggles lacing every other breath, Zuko whines out, "I told you to stop, like, twenty minutes ago!" Sokka snorts.

"This didn't even last twenty minutes, Zuko, you're so dramatic!"

"Are you sure? Felt like longer..." Zuko complains, throwing an arm over his face. 

"Yes, I'm sure; besides, if you _really_ wanted it to stop you would've used the codeword," Sokka says slyly, a knowing smile on his face. Zuko had enjoyed it, obviously.

"...What if I just forgot it?" Zuko counters.

"Then you would've just said "codeword." You're not dumb." Zuko buries his face back in the blankets and mumbles a "fuck you," to which he receives a well-placed (or horribly-placed, in Zuko's opinion) poke to the ribs that sends him flying a foot off the bed, whining.

* * *

After that incident, Sokka makes sure that Zuko gets his daily dose of tickles, at any given moment. It's gotten to the point now where whenever Sokka gets this look on his face- an evil look, according to Zuko, and he would know- Zuko will burst into giggles as though he were already being tickled (Sokka cleverly came up with the term "tickle-bending." After all, he's making Zuko laugh like that without even touching him. Zuko hates it).

One time, the first time it really happened in front of someone else, the two are sparring out in the courtyard. They've got their swords out, and the match is pretty even up until Zuko manages to knock Sokka's blade from his hand, and the sword goes tumbling to the ground a few feet away. Zuko smirks and advances, but then Sokka cries "Not fair! Not fair!" and he drops his own dual swords, too. Then he charges and wraps Sokka in a headlock. Sokka flips him over his head, but Zuko lands on his feet and turns around to face his boyfriend. The idea suddenly hits Sokka, and he lunges at Zuko, embracing his chest and wiggling his fingers into Zuko's ribs. Zuko absolutely drops his control like it was a poison.

Three guards come running into the courtyard to investigate the cause of their Firelord's screaming, and stop abruptly, awkwardly, in the entrance, upon seeing Ambassador Sokka tickling him to pieces. 

Neither Sokka nor Zuko notice the guards' presence though, so they quietly and immediately leave the two to their antics.

* * *

The next time it happens in front of somebody, Zuko and Sokka are in a meeting with some older (and _old-fashioned)_ advisors. 

At current, Firelord Zuko is in a yelling match with a man named Raon, an ugly, white-haired man with a personality to match his looks. 

Raon insists that the military can't take another budget cut; Firelord Zuko insists that the military isn't a priority right now, seeing as the war is over and the primary focus is helping the world return to a time of peace and fixing the Fire Nation's mistakes. So, yes, Zuko reiterates, the military can and _will_ take a budget cut.

Raon, for all his supposed "wisdom," is acting a fool. He slams his hand down hard on the table in indignation, and in response, the flames on the torches that line the walls flicker and rise exponentially as Zuko's temper does the same. 

Just as Zuko's about to light Raon's chair on fire, Sokka gently skitters his fingertips against Zuko's thigh, under the table where the action can't really be seen. 

Zuko's breath catches and his head snaps to look at Sokka, who offers him a small smile, a calming one. Zuko takes a deep breath and readjusts his position in his seat. 

"Raon," he says quietly, "You are dismissed. Pack your things, you have two days to leave the palace. You will receive the rest of this year's pay, but after that you will receive no benefits from my household. Thank you for your service."

And with that, Zuko stands, grabs Sokka's hand gently, and walks himself and his boyfriend out of the meeting room.

* * *

The third time it happens, they are alone. They haven't left the bedroom at all today; it's one of Zuko's Bad Days. 

The Firelord is curled into a ball on his side of the bed, the same as he has been all day, and the Ambassador is wrapped around him from behind, continuously whispering kind words and humming or singing ancient Southern Water Tribe lullabies and brushing Zuko's hair with his fingers.

Suddenly Zuko shift a little, then turns around so he's facing Sokka. Sokka stops singing and asks, "What is it, love?" He cups Zuko's face in his hands, and Zuko covers those hands with his own. 

"I just wanna forget it all... even if just for a little while," he mumbles, and closes his eyes. 

Sokka gives him a warm smile, even if he can't see, and kisses his forehead sweetly. "Can I try something?" he asks, and Zuko nods. 

So Sokka positions Zuko so that he's lying on his back, hands at his sides, and straddles him. He leans down and begins to pepper kisses all over Zuko's face, starting with his scar. He presses his lips against Zuko's in a chaste kiss, then continues down his jaw. When Sokka reaches his neck, Zuko's breath hitches, and Sokka smirks even though Zuko can't see it. 

He keeps pressing quick, feather-light kisses all over Zuko's neck and shoulders, until Zuko's a giggly ball of nerves, then he brings a hand up to lightly scratch at Zuko's side and ribs. Zuko twitches and keeps giggling, and Sokka keeps moving his kisses downward. He blows a small raspberry right under Zuko's nipple and the Firelord squeals, hands flying to push Sokka's head away, but Sokka grabs his hands and holds both wrists in one of his own larger hands. 

This act alone has Zuko's giggles turn to full laughter, and when Sokka hovers over the scar on his stomach, Zuko whines out an adorable, "Sokka, no-o-o-o..." Which, of course, Sokka promptly ignores.

The Ambassador nuzzles his nose gently against the pink flesh and is rewarded with a stuttering of his name. He then resumes his kisses, scattering them all over and Zuko loses it. The scar on his stomach is extremely sensitive to touch, and _of course_ Sokka knows this. But tickling always makes Zuko grow exceptionally weak, so he can't even push his boyfriend away. All he can do is lay there and take what he's given, and so that's what he does. And he laughs, and laughs, and laughs, and he honestly can't focus on anything other than how much it _tickles._ He can't even remember why he was so upset in the first place.

Eventually Sokka stops his ministrations, and joins Zuko at the top of the bed again. As Zuko's catching his breath, Sokka leans forward and whispers into his ear, "You know, Zuko, you're _gorgeous_ when you laugh like that." Zuko's face heats up again, blushing a brilliant crimson. 

If he's honest with himself, though, Zuko doesn't mind this whole change of pace. He never laughed like this before he was with Sokka, after all. So, no, he doesn't mind it at all.

...

But Sokka's not going to get away with this kind of thing _all_ the time, though. So Zuko buries his face in the space where Sokka's neck and shoulder meet, innocently, and Sokka cradles his head... right up until Zuko blows a giant raspberry against his neck and Sokka tears himself away, cackling.

(The guards outside their door are relieved to hear their leader's laughter, and grateful that their beloved Firelord has someone like the Ambassador to help him remember how to laugh.)


End file.
